Michael Todd

OCONOMOWOC – Michael Burgess Todd, 72, passed away on Saturday, October 21, 2017, surrounded by his family at the Aurora Medical Center in Summit. Born on March 30, 1945 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Michael and his mother Rae moved to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin after his father, Harold A. Todd, Jr. was killed-in-action during WWII when his submarine -- USS Lagarto (SS-371) -- was lost in a head-to-head battle against a Japanese destroyer in the Gulf of Siam. Michael was raised on the western lakes of Waukesha County after his mother remarried John (Jack) Kinn of Kinn Motors Marine in Oconomowoc. It was on Okauchee Lake, Oconomowoc Lake, and Lac La Belle, where Michael met many of his lifelong friends – so many that he eventually earned the nickname “The Mayor” because he was always shaking hands and greeting people wherever he travelled throughout the Lake Country area. Mike worked in real estate for several decades, first as the principal broker for Todd Realty, and later as the president and head appraiser for Michael B. Todd & Associates. He continued working some nights and weekends at Kinn Marine into the 1980’s. Musically gifted with a profound love of rock and roll, Michael played guitar and sang vocals in “The Wanderers,” “The Minute Men” and “The Lariats” during his years at Oconomowoc High School where he graduated from in 1963. He continued playing in several bands over his lifetime, including Southeast Wisconsin favorite “The Piles of Rhythm” starting in the late 1980’s, where he helped to create indelible memories for fans throughout the region. Mike was a member of the Lac La Belle Yacht Club for most of his life. As a youngster, he was an avid sailor in the summertime, and a downhill skiing and speed skating champion in winter. As Michael matured, he served as a member of the National Ski Patrol in Colorado and Wisconsin, Later, he became active in racquetball and eventually fell in love with windsurfing in the late 1970’s when his iconic blue, green, and yellow striped sail number 96111 could be seen darting across Lac La Belle from April through October. The passion he developed for the game of soccer is where he truly made an impact, coaching the teams of each of his three children at various times during their youth. Known affectionately as “Coach Todd,” he positively impacted the lives of many of his players, several of whom went on to play at the high school and collegiate levels. Family and friends cherished Mike’s heart of gold combined with an incredibly pithy sense of humor. He was not afraid to push the envelope with his jokes -- often times hitting the mark, yet sometimes shocking his audience – a trait his children proudly carry on to this day. Also preceded in death by his brother, John Kinn, Jr., mother Rae Kinn, and uncle Wesley Todd, the true legacy of Michael B. Todd is his children which he unabashedly adored; Christopher (47) of Miami Beach, Katherine (33) of Sussex, Amy (30) of Los Angeles, and his grand-daughter Madelyn Rae (3 months) of Sussex. Additional survivors include his aunt Jean Sell, and many cousins from the Sell and Todd families. A celebration of the life of Michael B. Todd will be held at the Oconomowoc Lake Club on Thursday, November 2 with visitation starting at 4 p.m., followed by a memorial service at sundown. For more information, please visit: http://michaelbtodd.com In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations in memory of Michael B. Todd for the benefit of the H.A. Todd Jr. American Legion Post 537 located at 9159 W. Beloit Road, Milwaukee, WI 53227